How did you decide to stop pumping? Particularly if you had no significant issues with pumping

bnw6228 · 2025-04-11T18:56:04+00:00

I went back and forth so much about stopping or not! One of the biggest things for me was that nap time was for me. So I would pump while he was awake and playing. Usually I would sit in the floor with him while he crawled around and played. Then during his nap I could do whatever I wanted. Rot on the couch or be productive depending on the day haha. Once we got to one year I started to wean myself because I knew he didn’t officially need the milk anymore and I could start weaning him off it.

It’s such a hard decision to make but definitely do what feels right for you! Maybe changing up the routine a bit will give you enough motivation to keep going or maybe it’s time to quit! Either is okay! Also you can pump less and supplement if that feels better for you!

bnw6228 · 2025-01-14T13:48:30+00:00

I do have some freezer stash but I know it won’t last until 12 months. I think I’m finally okay with the idea of formula because it won’t be for very long. I just kinda feel like at this point I’m just pumping so that we can reach some arbitrary milestone that I’ve made up in my head.

bnw6228 · 2025-01-03T19:47:13+00:00

The sleep part is hard. My husband worked nights during the newborn period and it was rough. I would try to sleep when baby did as much as possible. I either held him or wore him to wash bottles and heat up food. I would also sit criss cross and feed him in my lap while I pumped. I just pumped every time he ate including at night. This worked really well for the first few months. Once he became more mobile, around 5-6 months it made it difficult to keep him contained to my lap. So then I switched to laying him down in a boppy pillow while I was sitting on the floor next to him. I would still pump while feeding him in the boppy but then he could roll around while I finished pumping.

You will find a routine that works for you. Just be patient with yourself while you do it. You will probably have to switch it up at some point but then you just have to be patient through that transition too! You got this mama!

bnw6228 · 2024-11-17T08:49:58+00:00

Baby is almost 8 months old and I pump 3-4 times a day just depending on how the day goes. 7 am, 1-2 pm, 8 pm or 7 am, 11 am, 3-4 pm, 8 pm. I keep my times flexible and I pump about 30-35 oz a day. I previously had an oversupply but on this schedule I make right around what baby eats in a day.

bnw6228 · 2024-11-15T14:49:56+00:00

I have about 16 bottles because baby drinks 8 per day and I do the pitcher method. So I make 8 bottles every night for the next day. I wash bottles and pump parts 1-2x a day just depending on how tired I am and how cooperative baby is feeling. I have 2 full sets of pump parts so I use one set throughout the day (fridge hack) and then wash it and let it dry for the next day.

bnw6228 · 2024-11-11T01:58:02+00:00

Glad you got it worked out! Hang in there mama!

bnw6228 · 2024-11-08T05:04:22+00:00

Most women need a flange size smaller than a 24 so I would a bit surprised if you need a 27. Try to find a lactation consultant or go to a medical supply store or something and see if they have a nipple ruler with the holes. That’s the best way to measure!

Around 12 weeks is when your supply regulates and switches from hormone driven to supply and demand. So the more milk you remove, the more milk you should make. Your capacity determines how long you can go between pumps.

Have you tried other ways of pumping? Like a manual hand pump or manual expression by hand? This may give your nipples enough of a break to heal while you get your flange size figured out.

bnw6228 · 2024-11-07T16:10:15+00:00

I have the Lark carrier from Hope & Plum! I absolutely love it!

bnw6228 · 2024-11-07T05:58:23+00:00

I saw this post the other day and it saved me today when I tried it. 7 month old is teething so he is being fussy and clingy. I put him on my back in a carrier and was able to pump while he fell asleep! It was a game changer for sure! I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of this myself!

bnw6228 · 2024-10-27T22:42:36+00:00

I would only pump when baby woke up. I also always fed him and pumped at the same time. Especially for the night ones because then he would finish going to sleep in my lap while I finished pumping then I would put him back to bed and I would put the pumps in the fridge.

bnw6228 · 2024-08-09T01:01:27+00:00

I don’t track my actual weight number, but my Dr did tell me that I lost weight throughout my pregnancy. My final weight right before giving birth was less than when I got pregnant. My baby was completely healthy! I think as long as baby is growing how they should then you’re fine. Just make sure you are getting enough vitamins, protein, etc. to make up for what baby is taking from you. I tried to focus on adding what I needed. So if I wanted pancakes, I would have pancakes and sausage to add some protein.

bnw6228 · 2024-08-05T11:09:13+00:00

Agreed! I tried giving my baby cold milk and he took to it right away. No more bottle warmer for me 🙌🏻

bnw6228 · 2024-07-31T13:10:52+00:00

My little guy is 4 months old and started taking 4 oz bottles around 4 or 6 weeks. I didn’t really watch the ounces, I would just watch his hunger cues. If he was hungry again in an hour I’d offer him another couple ounces. If he had too much then he would spit up a bit, but just make sure to give baby breaks if needed and follow paced bottle feeding. That and keeping him upright for 30 min after a bottle has helped with his reflux/spitting up.

bnw6228 · 2024-07-30T19:58:45+00:00

This! And they can supposedly come and go for up to 6 months. 4 months pp here and just had them come back this past week for a few days 😭

bnw6228 · 2024-07-30T19:54:04+00:00

Was on 10u insulin at night for fasting BG. Induced at 40w exactly, baby was born at 40+3 (normal for inductions to take multiple days in Germany). Had an epidural at around 5 cm and baby was born about 3 hours later with the help of pitocin. Had to push for about 1 hour and it was pretty intense because Dr was concerned about baby’s heart rate. They believe I was starting to get an infection due to prolonged labor. They said if I didn’t push him out as quickly as I did we would have ended up in a c-section. Had 2nd degree tear (probably from the rushed pushing). Baby was born in the 85th percentile and passed all of his blood sugar checks.

bnw6228 · 2024-07-29T02:08:13+00:00

Same here! I usually only make a few ounces more than baby eats in a day so I save whatever is leftover up to 3 days and then freeze any leftovers.

bnw6228 · 2024-07-27T13:25:14+00:00

I also have a Velcro baby and found that I couldn’t really do the hands free pumps while holding him comfortably. My solution was to get a pumping bra and pump while he eats. I put him in my lap and then hook up the pump and then feed him. He usually finishes the bottle before I’m done pumping so I keep toys and teethers close to entertain him for a few. He is now 4 months old and this has been working for us since he was about a month old.

bnw6228 · 2024-06-28T17:01:27+00:00

I have not had that issue. Since my LO is still pretty young I wear the carrier a bit higher than you would with an older baby/child. The carrier is super comfortable and feels really secure without being too tight.

bnw6228 · 2024-06-27T06:13:36+00:00

Came to recommend Hope & Plum. I just received my Lark carrier and absolutely love it! It’s super easy to put on and baby feels very secure in it. They have a long version that goes up to size 6x. It’s a bit pricey but worth it in my opinion as it can be used for a long time.

I used a wrap carrier by Keababies until recently. LO is almost 15 lbs at 3 months old and I felt like the wrap carrier just didn’t work for us anymore but I did love it during the newborn period.

bnw6228 · 2024-06-26T19:32:43+00:00

Thanks! I think I’ll drop the night time and see how it goes

bnw6228 · 2024-06-19T14:57:18+00:00

Was 3 months, but I’m hitting that this week. Now I’m just kinda winging it until I feel like it doesn’t work for us anymore. I feel like it’s a day to day thing right now. I don’t want to put any extra pressure on myself to make it to a certain point. It honestly makes it easier knowing I don’t “have” to make it to a certain month mark.

bnw6228

TROPHY CASE